Touched by love
(Baonghean) - With a spirit of compassion, many pagodas have activities to help people who have made mistakes return to their awareness of a good life, make efforts to start over, and live a useful life.
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| After being released from prison, Nguyen Danh Chung became attached to Phuc My Pagoda. |
Mistaken lives
Coming to Phuc My Pagoda in Yen Son Commune, Do Luong District, visitors often see a middle-aged man dressed in blue, with a pensive face, diligently watering ornamental plants and chanting and beating wooden fish to worship the visa every afternoon. That is Nguyen Danh Chung (born in 1975), a special Buddhist of the pagoda. He is said to be special because the path to the pagoda as well as his past status are different from those around him. Before that, he had a time of mistakes.
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| Venerable lecturer Thich Tam Luan shares and guides at a retreat for Buddhists at Phuc Lac Pagoda. Photo courtesy |
“Addiction and prison turned me into a “gangster”, and wherever I went back home, people were afraid of me, and whenever they saw my face, they tried to avoid me.”
At Gam Pagoda in Xuan Thanh Commune, Yen Thanh District, visitors also encounter a man with a similar identity to Mr. Chung, Mr. Nguyen Cong Thin. Mr. Thin was born in 1976, the only son in a family in Cua Nam Ward, Vinh City.
In 2001, while he was a 4th year student, due to following his friends, smoking and injecting drugs, he fell into the cycle of drug crimes. After being released from prison and not having been married for long, he went after “white powder” again and continued to serve his second term in prison. His daughter was born while her father was in prison. After completing his prison term, he was determined to quit drugs, to live an honest life with his family, especially for his young child.
However, 3 years ago, after his mother passed away from cancer, his wife also divorced him... His parents died, his wife left him, he fell into crisis, drowned in alcohol all day, many times he tried to die but "couldn't die". In that "living like dying" situation, he came to Gam Pagoda by chance.
Determined to reform
People like Mr. Chung, Mr. Thin… that we met at Phuc My Pagoda, Gam Pagoda can also be found at many other pagodas. Although each person has a different personality, they are similar in their past mistakes and know how to repent to reform.
Mr. Chung said: “During my last days in prison, my friends gave me small Buddhist scriptures to read to distract me. Unexpectedly, the more I read, the more meaningful it became and I thought about many things. Therefore, after being released from prison for 2 days, thanks to everyone's guidance, I went to the temple near my house and asked the abbot to let me practice.”
My point of view is to hit the person who runs away, not hit the person who runs back.
Venerable Thich Hue Phong - abbot of Phuc My pagoda (Yen Son commune - Do Luong district) said: "My point of view is that beating someone makes them run away, not beating someone who runs back, so when I heard Mr. Chung talk about his situation and wanted to join the pagoda, I accepted. However, to accept people like Mr. Chung, we must also anticipate situations that may arise. Up to this moment, it can be said that everything is fine, Mr. Chung has made a lot of progress."
Having been attached to Phuc My Pagoda for more than 8 months now, Mr. Chung has devoted himself to working, doing everything from sweeping, wiping walls, planting flowers, watering plants, practicing rituals of chanting sutras, reciting Buddha's name, and offering food... During a ceremony at the pagoda in 2018, everyone was deeply moved to see him perform the foot-washing ritual for his father with the most sincere and respectful feelings.
The 75-year-old father could not hide his excitement as he shared: “After so many years of being in and out of prison, my family has stopped suffering because of him. Since going to the pagoda, he has suddenly changed surprisingly, becoming gentle and kind. Especially, he has forgotten about drugs and has not committed the same mistakes as before, which is what makes us happiest.”
Since going to the temple, he suddenly changed surprisingly, gentle and kind. Especially, he forgot about drugs and did not repeat the same old mistakes as before, which is what makes us happiest."
For Mr. Nguyen Cong Thin, after more than half a year of staying at Gam Pagoda (Xuan Thanh Commune, Yen Thanh District), with the guidance and support of Venerable Thich Tue Minh - the abbot of the pagoda, he has escaped from the state of mental crisis and lives more optimistically. Every day, he actively takes care of the flower garden, cleans, supports information technology, and supports the activities of some people in the center for the disabled...
Recalling the past days, Mr. Thin feels extremely regretful, especially towards his late mother: “Every time I go home to visit, looking at her portrait, thinking back to the days when I was addicted, I feel sorry for my mother. I have reformed, but my mother is no longer here.” Perhaps because of this remorse, since entering the temple, receiving the sharing of the monks, he has tried not to let bad thoughts invade, determined “never to return to the old path”.
Touched by love
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| Sparkling night of flower lanterns at Gam Pagoda. Photo courtesy |
To transform the bodies and minds of people who have made mistakes, monks in pagodas have used many methods of influence, such as sharing, encouraging, guiding... in which they mainly use compassion to influence.
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| Over the years, Gam Pagoda has been constantly renovated to become more beautiful, especially when spring comes. Photo courtesy |
Love must be the most important thing, compassion will help everyone live in friendliness and harmony. When there is trust and encouragement, they will realize their mistakes, repent and correct them.
Venerable Thich Tue Minh - abbot of Gam Pagoda shared: "Each person is different, no one is the same, so when contacting and advising these people, we must be flexible and adaptable. However, we must take love as the most important thing, compassion will help everyone live in friendliness and harmony. When there is trust and encouragement, they will realize their mistakes, repent and correct them."
